Technology in Education: Integrating Contemporary Technology into Classroom Pedagogy as Foundation to a Practical Distance Learning

Background: The Why Of Technology In Education

Technology in educational is no longer an option; the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 makes technology in education an objective. The law (NCLB Act) states that, “every student should be technologically literate by the eighth grade, regardless of student background or family socioeconomic status.” McAnear (2006) describes technology in education as “magic.” She concludes that it is magic because it makes complex things simple or makes the impossible possible. A sound technology in pedagogy should motivate students, close their learning gap, and help them master complex concepts.

As education moves away from the melting pot theory, that is characterized by one approach to teaching should fit all learners, to a better appreciation of every learner as unique in both learning style and socio-cultural identity, education becomes a highly engaging environment. Considering more diverse approaches to teaching, Law (2006) suggests that educational research into teaching methods should, “target those students who learn through other modalities than the customary linear-sequential approaches of schools.” Law also observes that more research in technology in education will find that learning with technology will “benefit” all students, and will lead to a “significant improvement and engagement in learning from students classified as ‘at risk.’” Put simply educational technology must be a tool that increases every student’s learning opportunities (Dreier, 2006). A United States Department of Education report agrees that, “students using technology have a distinct advantage over similar students who are not using technology” (Murray, 2001). Technology in education is not an optional tool in learning, but a fundamental necessity that every student must have and use in order to be more competitive.